By Tiegen Brickson, co-owner, The Brix (Our Story) · Last updated October 2026

The quick answer: Stay in Canal Park, in a condo with an indoor pool, and you can fill a winter weekend in Duluth, MN without moving the car. Swim every day, walk about 10 minutes to the Great Lakes Aquarium, see the ice on Lake Superior from the Lakewalk, and walk to Bentleyville in late November and December. Save one short drive for the zoo or the children's museum.

We're Tiegen and Keenan. Tiegen grew up in Duluth, and we host families in Canal Park year round, so this is the winter plan we give our own guests.

Duluth in winter with kids: key facts

• 🏊 Pool: indoor pool, kiddie pool, hot tub and sauna in our Waterfront Plaza building (every Brix condo except Aerial Lofts), open until 10 PM for kids
• 🐟 Walkable: the Great Lakes Aquarium is about half a mile, roughly a 10-minute walk
• 🎄 Bentleyville: Nov 21 to Dec 26, 2026, free, about a 15-minute walk
• 🚢 Ships: still passing under the Aerial Lift Bridge until mid-January
• 👵 Grandparents: elevators and step-free entry from the parking lot

Is Duluth worth visiting in winter with kids?

Yes, if you plan for short stretches outside and a warm place to come back to. Winter on Lake Superior is cold and windy, and some summer attractions close. The William A. Irvin ore boat, for example, runs regular tours May through mid-September. But you get the lake at its most dramatic, and Canal Park is a lot calmer than it is in July.

As Tiegen put it in a Q&A with Visit Duluth: "Wintertime has a whole other realm of raw beauty with ice formations and sea smoke, or take a polar plunge."

Why does a pool condo matter so much in winter?

Because it gives kids one sure thing every day, whatever the weather does. When it's too cold for the beach, they still get to swim.

Every Brix condo except Aerial Lofts is in the Waterfront Plaza building at 325 S. Lake Ave., which has an indoor pool, a kiddie pool for little ones, a hot tub, a sauna and a gym. You can get to all of it from inside, in flip-flops, without ever stepping outside.

The pool is open until 10 PM for kids and 11 PM for adults, so an after-dinner swim works, even after a night at Bentleyville.

Photo: @kelseyleephotographmn

What can you do in Canal Park in winter? (All walkable)

Great Lakes Aquarium. About half a mile from our Waterfront Plaza building, roughly a 10-minute walk. It's open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM (closed Thanksgiving Day and December 25). Tickets are $20 for adults, $19 for seniors 62 and up, $16 for kids 3 to 17, and free for kids 2 and under. If you drive instead, the aquarium lot is $10 for up to 5 hours.

Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center. Free, and about an 8-minute walk, right by the ship canal and the Aerial Lift Bridge. It's an easy place to duck inside and warm up between ships. Hours get shorter in winter, so check before you go.

The Lakewalk and the lighthouse. On a clear, cold morning you may see sea smoke rising off the lake and ice building up on the piers. Wear boots with good grip. After a storm, wind and waves can leave ice and beach rock on parts of the Lakewalk, so stick to the paved side and stay off the ice-coated piers and rocks.

Ships under the Aerial Lift Bridge. Shipping slows to a stop in mid-January, when the Soo Locks close for winter maintenance, and picks back up after they reopen in late March. Until then, check the ship schedule on canalpark.com and walk over when a ship is due.

Duluth Winter Village (Dec 5 and 6, 2026). A free holiday market at the DECC, open 10 AM to 4 PM both days, with local shops, cocoa, carolers and live animals. DECC parking is $10, or just walk over from Canal Park.

Harbor Plaza by the DECC. Cross the blue Minnesota Slip Bridge from Canal Park (open to walkers around the clock in winter) and you're on the city's rebuilt waterfront behind the DECC, finished in 2025, where cruise ships tie up in the summer. It has a wider walkway, seating and a great view of the harbor and the Aerial Lift Bridge. It's our family's favorite way to walk to the aquarium and Bentleyville.

A warm-up stop. Canal Park has plenty of spots for hot chocolate or a treat between walks. Staying with us? Your Brix Passport has discounts at 25+ local spots.

Bentleyville: the big December night out

If your trip falls between November 21 and December 26, 2026, Bentleyville Tour of Lights is the main event. It's free, it's at Bayfront Festival Park, and it's about a 15-minute walk from Canal Park, so there's no parking line. We walk over along the harbor through Harbor Plaza, past the DECC and the Great Lakes Aquarium. It's open 5 to 9 PM Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and Bentleyville's own crowd forecast marks Monday through Wednesday nights as the best viewing.

Our full guide covers the dates, Santa, parking and an easy evening plan: Bentleyville from Canal Park: When to Go and How to Do It with Kids.

What's worth a short drive?

Canal Park can fill a weekend, but if you have a car and a restless crew, these are close:

• Lake Superior Zoo: about 6 miles away in West Duluth. Open daily 10 AM to 4 PM in fall, winter and spring (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day). Adults are $20, kids 3 to 12 are $15, seniors 62 and up are $18, and kids 2 and under are free. Parking is free.
• Duluth Children's Museum: about 2.3 miles away on West Superior Street. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM (last admission 3:30). Admission is $10 per person age 1 and up. Bring socks: shoes come off inside.
• Spirit Mountain: about 9 miles away, with a tubing hill when there's enough snow. Check spiritmt.com for this season's opening date and tubing sessions before you go.

The zoo and the children's museum are both on the west side of town, so either one works as a last stop if you're heading home to the Twin Cities.

A simple 2-night winter plan

Day 1: Check in at 4 PM, unpack, and get everyone in the pool. Make dinner in the condo kitchen and call it an early night.

Day 2: Bundle up for a short morning walk on the Lakewalk to the lighthouse, then head to the Great Lakes Aquarium before lunch. Come back for naps or a game, then swim again before dinner. In December, walk to Bentleyville after dinner.

Day 3: Checkout is 10 AM. Stop at the zoo or the children's museum on your way out of town.

Snow day in the condo

Some days the wind wins, and that's OK. A condo gives you room to spread out, which a hotel room doesn't. L'Etoile du Nord has foosball, darts, ring toss and board games, plus a fireplace. Aurora Black has bunk beds and window views of the William A. Irvin. And Dockside Suites gives a bigger family 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

Photo: @kelseyleephotographmn

Packing and parking tips

• Pack swimsuits, even in January.
• Pack boots with grip and real layers. The wind off the lake can make it feel colder than the thermometer says.
• Parking: guests at our Waterfront Plaza condos get a discounted rate of $17.50 per calendar day per vehicle, with in-and-out privileges. It's the same rate all year.
• Grandparents: the Waterfront Plaza building has elevators, wide doorways and a ramp from the parking lot. The condos aren't ADA equipped (no grab bars, lowered counters or roll-in showers). Aerial Lofts is a third-floor walk-up with no elevator and no pool, so for a pool-centered winter trip, pick one of the Waterfront Plaza condos.

Photo: @kelseyleephotographmn

Duluth in winter with kids: FAQ

Which Brix condos have a pool?

All of them except Aerial Lofts. Our condos in the Waterfront Plaza building at 325 S. Lake Ave. share the building's indoor pool, kiddie pool, hot tub, sauna and gym, all reachable from inside. The pool is open until 10 PM for kids and 11 PM for adults.

When do ships stop coming into Duluth for the winter?

Shipping slows to a stop in mid-January, when the Soo Locks close for maintenance, and picks back up after they reopen in late March.

Is the Great Lakes Aquarium open in winter?

Yes. It's open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, except Thanksgiving Day and December 25.

Do you need a car for a winter weekend in Canal Park?

Not in Canal Park itself. The pool, the aquarium, the Lakewalk and Bentleyville are all walkable. You'll want a car for the zoo, the children's museum or Spirit Mountain.

Stay with us this winter

A pool down the hall, a kitchen for easy dinners, and a bed for everyone.

• L'Etoile du Nord: 3 bedrooms, 2,000 sq ft, a 10-person kitchen island, games and a fireplace. Indoor pool and hot tub on site.
• Aurora Black: 2 bedrooms, bunk beds and window views of the William A. Irvin. Indoor pool, hot tub and cocktail lounge on site.
• Dockside Suites: 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Indoor pool and hot tub on site.

See which Brix condo fits your crew

Book directly at TheBrixDuluth.com to skip the extra fees and support our small, family-run business directly.

Join The Brix Club for first dibs on our best Duluth dates and member deals.

Staying with us? Your Brix Passport has discounts at 25+ local spots.

More Duluth guides: Bentleyville from Canal Park: When to Go and How to Do It with Kids · All Duluth Guides

Official info: Great Lakes Aquarium hours · Canal Park ship schedule · Lake Superior Zoo · Duluth Children's Museum · Duluth Winter Village · Visit Duluth

By Tiegen Brickson, co-owner, The Brix. Tiegen grew up in Duluth and met Keenan in Canal Park in 2011. Last updated October 2026.